


Lath la Atish’an

by TheFire_in_the_NightSky



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Ari is a grumpy bean, Bisexual Cullen Rutherford, Companion Lavellan, Cullen and Ari own a templar rehabilitation farm, Cullen is happier and over his lyrium withdrawal, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, M/M, Mabari, Mabari Puppies, Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser DLC, Romantic Gestures, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 23:12:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16544144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFire_in_the_NightSky/pseuds/TheFire_in_the_NightSky
Summary: One morning, Cullen informs Aridhel that he has a surprise for him.  And Aridhel is slightly reluctant, given Cullen's past "surprises."aka Cullen gets Ari his own mabari pup - domestic fluff upon dog fluff.





	Lath la Atish’an

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Karasu888](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karasu888/gifts).



> A few notes! 
> 
> One, just a reminder that this is a non-Inquisitor Lavellan OC!  
> The other is that Aridhel calls Cullen "vheraan" - Elvhen for lion (sourced via Project Elvhen by FenxShiral).
> 
> And thank you to my dear friend, Karasu888, for giving my OCs all the love, especially my grumpy boy, Ari<3 He needs it!

 

With his head thumped dramatically against the wall, Aridhel groans, “You know your surprises have begun to give me nothing but worry, do you not?” He cracks one eye open to peer over his shoulder; the crooked smile shining back at him only making the knot of anticipation in his gut pull tighter.

“It isn’t at all my fault surprises are synonymous with worry for you!  Here I thought you were over your pessimistic side,” Cullen snarks back at him.

Aridhel turns around and shoves Cullen’s shoulder as the man steps closer. “Well I’m not, don’t be such an _optimist._ Besides, my worry actually _is_ all your fault.”

Aridhel can’t help the smile that slowly breaks through his usually apathetic expression when Cullen leans down to place a pair of kisses along the corner of his jaw as his hands find their way to his narrow waist. “I’ll have you know,” Cullen starts with a low whisper in his ear, “you’ve very much enjoyed many of my surprises over the the years. And if _you recall,_ you’ve laid a snare or two of your own, love.”

Biting his bottom lip to hold back a full smile now, Aridhel snorts through his nose and rolls his eyes while Cullen attempts to placate him further by brushing his long, white hair over his shoulder and away from his neck.  Cullen kisses down the expanse of caramel skin he reveals, causing a deep shudder to run through Aridhel. He reaches up to grab a handful of blond hair at the back of Cullen’s head and tugs him away from his neck. “I’d found prey I very much wanted, _vheraan._ And you were _hard-_ won, at that.” He gives Cullen a particularly dark and wanton look as he releases his hair.

Cullen leans forward one last time and sighs in frustration against Aridhel’s cheek.  “We should go outside,” he murmurs, then steps back a few feet before he can get carried away.

 _“Outside?_  Why?  It’s comfortably warm in here, don’t you think?” Aridhel smirks mischievously and grabs for Cullen’s tunic belt, but just misses as he walks away towards their large wardrobe.

However enticing the thought of staying in the warmth of their bed is, beneath blankets and furs, with nothing but the exploration of Cullen’s bare skin to keep him occupied, Aridhel _is_ curious.  He just wonders a bit too much at what in the Void could be outside - what kind of _surprise_ his dear vhen’an has in store out in the wintry cold morning.  Cullen merely smiles over at him while pulling on a heavy woolen cloak, then tosses one of Aridhel’s fitted, leather cottes and a skinny belt onto the bed for him.  Despite his now lengthy time out of the Free Marches, Aridhel has never fully gotten used to the bitter Ferelden winter cold that had to be burned away by the fireside on a nightly basis, lest one let it seep down to the bone and take strong root.

As Aridhel pulls the soft, copper-coloured leather over his light tunic and begins lacing up the front, he prods at Cullen in his own gentle way again.  “Satinalia isn’t for another few weeks or so…”

“It isn’t for Satinalia,” Cullen says plainly while pulling on a pair of boots near the hearth.  Aridhel just gives him a disappointed glare at the lack of insight that provides him.

He grumbles quietly and finishes dressing, pulling on Cullen’s old red and black fur-mantled cloak last, then they head through the main room of the cottage from the bedroom.  

The snowfall has ebbed, but it’s much deeper than what it was a few hours ago, and what has been shoveled is covered over in a sunken white veil now. Out the large front window, Aridhel can clearly make out the many footprints that pattern the pathways edging the fields to other houses and shacks.  He grimaces down at his fur and leather boots. They were warm, yes, but not quite ideal for the wet of that much snow.

Cullen takes note of his expression. “Ah… yes, the uh… the only clear-ways are around the stables and both infirmaries, I’m afraid.  Our men are going to take care of the rest again after they’ve had lunch. I’d told them not to worry over it until then, anyway.” He looks down at Aridhel’s boots and a light laugh escapes him as he shakes his head.  

 _“What?”_ Aridhel asks through gritted teeth.  “I’ve told you a thousand times I’ll make you a pair to shut you and your teasing up.”

“No, no!” Cullen laughs a little harder.  “You needn’t prove to me how warm they are, Ari, I take your word for it.  But… Maker, you do look as if you’ve raided the wardrobe of an Avaar-warrior right now.”  Aridhel scowls at the remark.

“Oh, and shall I get my sword?   _You ass…”_

Craning his own face down, Cullen cups Aridhel’s jaw in both hands and tips his chin up to meet him halfway.  After placing a solid kiss against his mouth, Cullen says warmly, “Well, I think you look _good._  And adorable… if uh, not a bit angry with me.” Oh, but Aridhel hates when Cullen calls him that - _adorable -_ if only for the way it always makes the blood rush to his cheeks so damn quickly.  Perhaps the added warmth in his face can bolster him before they leave the comfort of their home.  He tries on a scowl once more, but Cullen merely brushes it away with the soft movement of his thumbs along the grey-blue tattoos dotted below his eyes.  “Come, we’ve only got to go down to the stables.”

Cullen trails away from the window and opens the door for them, letting in the clean, crisp smell of snow.  He stops in the doorway and Aridhel walks up behind him, placing a hand at his back as he peers around him, a bit confused.  “Well? Are we not going, vheraan? Too cold, is it?” Though Aridhel knows full-well it _isn’t_ for a man born and bred for Ferelden weather such as this.

The smirk on Aridhel’s face is quickly dropped when Cullen turns his head to look at him, then crouches down, grabbing the backs of Aridhel’s thighs to lift him onto his back in the blink of an eye.  “Fenedhis lasa! Cullen, what are you doing?!” Aridhel yells, then quiets down when the stares of farmhands and soldiers fix on them - some trying and failing to hide smiles or laughter.

“I wouldn’t want you to muck up those boots!”  Laughter rings through every word from Cullen’s mouth, and Aridhel doesn’t need to get a good look at his face to be sure of the smile he knows is there.  He’s had nearly five years to memorise the sounds of that happiness well.

“Get the door for me, would you?” At Cullen’s deadpan query, Aridhel breaks into his own fit of laughter and yanks hard on a blond wave of hair.  “Ah! Alright, alright!” Cullen hoists Aridhel up a little further, then leans forward with one hand carefully outstretched to pull the front door closed himself.

“I _don’t_ like you.” There isn’t a note of seriousness in a single word of the insult, as Aridhel’s thick Dalish accent carries its own mirth.

“I know,” Cullen chuckles.

With the half-hearted grump-of-a-burden that is his elven lover, Cullen stomps through the snow towards the stables and paddock area.

Aridhel hangs his arms around Cullen’s neck, digging his fingers into the fabric of his cloak and rests his cheek against his stubbled face - trying to sap any bit of warmth from Cullen that he can.  “If you really wanted me to ride you, Cullen, we could’ve just stayed in b-” But Aridhel doesn’t get to finish that suggestion, as he’s promptly thrown off Cullen’s back into a soft drift of snow.

After sputtering and brushing clumps of snow from his chest and fur-covered shoulders, Aridhel looks up at Cullen, green eyes blazing.  “Well I’ve changed my mind! _I hate you,”_ he grouses loudly, then takes Cullen’s laughter as a moment of weakness and swiftly kicks one leg out from under the larger man.  Cullen slips on the unpacked snow trying to catch his fall, and lands on his side right next to Aridhel, who quickly straddles him.  Aridhel leans in close, his long hair a wavy white curtain shrouding either side of Cullen’s head, and passionately kisses the proud, smug smile off his face.  Cullen wraps his arms around him just as Aridhel breaks the kiss. “This surprise of yours better be good.”

A breathy moan catches in Cullen’s throat as Aridhel grinds his hips against him.  “Yes, it’d better. I mean! No, yes… it is! It _is_ very good.”  Aridhel smiles triumphantly at Cullen’s stammering.  “Maker, I hope _you_ think so, or I’ll have to make you fall in love with me all over again, won’t I?”  When Aridhel rolls his hips even slower, but with more purpose, Cullen’s hands wander beneath the cover of his cloak to grip his ass.

“Maybe,” Aridhel whispers, then grabs both sides of Cullen’s cloak to pull him up to sitting.  Cullen’s eyes roam over his face, golden eyes filled with adoration while he wipes and brushes errant snowflakes from Aridhel’s shoulders and hair.

“It was well worth it the first time.”  Aridhel blushes at Cullen’s admission, and attempts to duck his head down, feeling the nudge of love in his heart for this human that could never truly shy away for anything.  In the distance, he thinks perhaps he hears Roshan’s obnoxious barking, and maybe it sounds like it’s growing louder - nearer, but Aridhel couldn’t care less in this little moment.

As he wraps one arm around Cullen’s neck, he hears the sudden call of, _“Serah Rutherford!!”_ At once, he and Cullen both snap their attention to the voice calling for them and answer in unison:

“Rhiordan! I um…”

_“Yes?”_

Rhiordan comes to a halt, with a very excited Roshan at his heels, nearly bowling him over when he too, stops in his snow-laden tracks.  “Oh! Ah, sorry… _Cullen,_ more specifically, I suppose.”  The young ex-templar doesn’t bat an eye at the way he finds Aridhel and Cullen thankfully, and Aridhel quickly rises to his feet, lending Cullen a hand to get up from the snow drift as well.  As they dust themselves off, careful not to bring attention to the evidence in each other's pants that they were up to a little more than a fall in the snow, Aridhel catches sight of a monstrous black mabari pup rushing straight for them from the direction of the stables.  

His eyes widen.

“You got another bloody dog, vhen’an.”

Cullen embraces him with a one-armed hug and rushes to explain.  “No, no… he’s _yours,_ Ari!”  Aridhel looks up at him, vexed, then to Rhiordan who shifts his weight nervously.  Through his annoyance, Aridhel notices the young man’s face has filled out more, and is pleased to see him looking healthier.  He’s one of the few humans here trying to shake lyrium Aridhel would gladly admit to truly _liking._  The train of thought cools his temper.

Rhiordan nods his head towards the pup as it shambles next to him, all slobbering jowls and flopping ears.  “I _was_ coming to tell you this boy here,” He bends at the waist to give the mabari a rough pat on his side. “was getting impatient to leave his hiding place, and Roshan was getting a bit tired of being separated from his new playmate as well, I think!  Weren’t you, ol’ boy? But it seems they were both through with waiting.” He directs a smile up at Aridhel.

“And he’s _mine,_ you say?” Aridhel asks both men while gently raising his hand out, palm down, for the pup to sniff.  Suddenly, his hand - and practically his entire arm - is being nudged in a silent plea for affection.  Aridhel can’t help but smile and removes his gloves promptly, tucking them into his belt, so he can better feel the smooth black fur beneath his fingertips.

“While Rhiordan was in Redcliffe waiting for the new supply shipment, he sent a bird back our way informing me of the puppies for sale in town.  And well, I _know_ you get a bit jealous of the fact that Rosh favours me, so I thought… well, I decided to surprise you.  Rhiordan was _very_ thorough in the descriptions of the three that were left.” Cullen pauses as he and Rhiordan share a laugh.  “And I thought perhaps he would be fitting for you. He’s beautiful, isn’t he?”

On his knees now, uncaring of the bite of cold seeping into his trousers, Aridhel nods in agreement.  “He is. Absolutely so. I can’t believe _he’s mine._ To train myself?” He peers up at Cullen hopefully, hands still roughing up the dog lovingly.

“Yours to train, and fully bond with, love.” Cullen crouches down beside Aridhel, then pats his thigh as a bid for Roshan to join them.  The wiggling momentum of the mabari’s rear propels their old friend forward, and he licks at Cullen’s gloved hands, then at the new pup’s face.  

“And ol’ Rosh certainly likes him well enough already!  So that’s a good sign!” Rhiordan laughs as Roshan bows forward, ass up in the air, then lets out a playful bark.  The pup paws at him, giving a loud bark of his own that marks the start of what could ironically be called _horse-play_ given the dogs’ sizes.  “Look! He’ll keep him young!  Well, I’m going to head back to the stables.  Drea looked about ready to curse me to the Void for keeping the puppy cooped up in there after I got back this morning.  Think he was scaring the halla with all his whining and barking. Going to go see if she needs a hand.”

 _“Ma serannas,_ Rhiordan.  Truly.” Aridhel stands and grips forearms with the man.

Rhiordan acknowledges the elvhen thanks, but lifts his chin in Cullen’s direction.  “No need, serah… all thanks should go to your husband, here. He gave the go ahead and paid with his coin I had with me for supplies - I merely planted the seed in his head.”  Rhiordan gives Aridhel a wink and claps him on the shoulder, then jogs off towards the stables.

While watching the dogs play, Cullen rises from where he was crouched, and stands by Aridhel’s side, taking his hand.  Beaming up at him with a smile that makes his face ache, Aridhel hugs Cullen, burying his face into his chest. “I love you.”

“Really?” Cullen looks down at him as Aridhel raises his head.  “I was getting worried there…” They both smile and Aridhel hugs tighter to him.  “I love _you,_ Ari.  Now, what are you going to call him?”

“I… good question.  Perhaps I’ll have to get better acquainted with him first.”

“You had a name for our old boy there within the first five minutes of meeting him!”

Aridhel laughs and thinks back to the day he found Cullen with Roshan at the Winter Palace.  Both looking up at him with wide grins as Cullen practically rolled around on the ground with the mabari, careless of his Inquisition uniform.   _‘Enduring happiness’_ was the first thing that came to Aridhel’s mind then when he looked at the two of them, and Cullen liked the way the elvhen word for it rolled off the tongue, he’d said.

“Naming Roshan was easy,” Aridhel explains, “this one though, I’ll have to think on longer.  Unless _you_ have any suggestions?”  Cullen looks down at him with an innocent smile.  “You’re already thinking of a name, Cullen. Aren’t you?”

Blushing, Cullen turns his head away from Aridhel to watch the way their dogs kick up snow and plow deep trails in the field with their sinewy, large bodies as they give chase to one another.  Aridhel keeps his eyes fixated on Cullen, ignoring for the moment the flashes of dark roan and midnight he sees bounding around out of the corner of his eye. He watches as Cullen chews the inside of his cheek before finally speaking what’s on his mind.

“Well... I initially liked the name, Varren, but that sounds too close to what _you_ call me, and I don’t think we need that kind of confusion.”  Cullen grins and finally looks back down at Aridhel.

“Perhaps we could do with another _lion_ around the farm?”

A puff of white steam leaves Cullen’s mouth as he gives Aridhel an amused scoff and begins to rub the back of his neck, ruffling the long curls brushing just passed his nape.  “Perhaps…” Aridhel relishes in the way the cold intensifies Cullen’s blush high across his cheekbones and the tip of his nose.

He stops his husband’s old nervous habit, bringing Cullen’s arm down to wrap around his waist instead, then brushes his pale wheat-coloured hair behind his ear.  “So, what is it you’ve settled on then?” asks Aridhel, and Cullen looks at him with absolute affection lighting his eyes. “Conrí,” he answers, with a nervous hitch in his usually smooth voice.

It is part of Aridhel’s name - what shemlen call _middle names._ He’d had no family left to call his own when he was ushered into Clan Lavellan at the age of seven, and the elven woman that became the closest thing to a mother to him - more so than any of the others - had given him that name.  She’d complimented his tenacity and told him it meant “wolf king” in the old Starkhaven tongue. And wolves were very much revered in Clan Lavellan, so he took it with pride as an adolescent.

Aridhel supposes calling this large pup “wolf king” _is_ indeed fitting.  And it endears Cullen to him further in the simple fact that he wants to give the mabari part of _Aridhel’s_ name, especially because he knows the story behind it.  It’s always been like this for Aridhel - the smallest of things with Cullen that he never expected to fall hard for.  And Cullen had made Aridhel feel like they and this place of rehabilitation were all he needed in life - in between their respective Inquisition duties, of course.  They have _family_ within one another and their myriad of pets and livestock.  Aridhel rolls his eyes internally at himself for how sentimental he’s getting all because of a mabari puppy and the name Cullen wants to give him.

“I approve.  Greatly,” Aridhel admits and sees relief wash away the nervous tension in Cullen’s shoulders.  “My own horse, fostering mabari puppies - this makes up for the heartbreak of having to find them homes, by the way; a herd of halla, and now this wonderful beast.  What will my next surprise be? A family of nugs?” They both laugh and Cullen moves behind Aridhel to slips his arms around him. Aridhel sighs at the warmth of his husband encompassing him while they watch the dogs play amongst the slow flow of life around the farm.

“I _could_ send a raven to Leliana.”

“Oh, we needn’t bother Divine Victoria with the business of _pets.”_

“Really?  Aridhel! I can just imagine her excited squeal over the prospect of breeding for us our very own nug… er… pups? Cubs? Kits?  Anyway, it’s the very least she could do for her commander and lieutenant.” Aridhel can feel Cullen’s smile widen where he rests his face against Aridhel’s temple.

“I think I’ll pass for now.  We’ve got _Conrí_ to raise and train, afterall.”

Cullen whispers in his ear, _“You_ have him to train, love.”

Aridhel pivots a little in Cullen’s hold and tells him matter-of-factly, “You know, Roshan climbs into bed with me when you head out early some mornings.  And while we were at Skyhold over these passed warm months, he’d kept me company during times that took you away from the keep without us. It slipped my mind to tell you before now.”  He gives Cullen a wicked grin.

“That traitorous beast!  He won’t even cuddle in bed with _me!_  Traitors, the both of you…”

“Banal, vhen’an!” Aridhel squeezes the hands resting over his hip while giggling victoriously.  “I promise you this was not some long-winded, elaborate ruse planned by Roshan and me to get another mabari.”

Eyeing him suspiciously Cullen relents, humour still filling his eyes.  “Alright… So, shall we join them?” Cullen nods in the direction of the pair of mabari.

“In the snow?  Cullen, do you _want_ to be knocked on your arse again?  No, I think I’ve got a much better idea.  Those two will be occupied for awhile it seems.  And I believe I’ve a _proper_ thank you to give for your gift.”

“Well, I won’t argue against that.” With smiles upon their faces, Cullen lets Aridhel lead him back towards the warmth and peace of their shared home.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, kudos, & feedback always appreciated!
> 
> You can find me on tumblr @thefire-in-the-nightsky and/or Twitter @nauka_o_ogniuXV :D


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